Telegram-herald., 1887-12-10
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CfScTzNAsI. Iec s. kats gcove0 e. be
gFesl DAY ia iae irss * Harper. UntA
after the court opened Il sas net keo~a
whether Harper himself would bsoons a
witness or not. Il hSs bsea said thst his
ooaasel protested against his appearance on
ths witness sfzn3 ana tbsl be ~ aFnly in-
sisted thai Afs interests esFnsadei ia should
tell AS OWE story.
large crowd WAS ip attendance and
Harper appeared p1le 3re anxious. hls vile
WearY. sed her sister. Mas A4ihsss. wore
face bearing traces OF TeFeni distress. Af.
Blaek oufn oatied Hafpea 20 the witness
stand Before he took the oath judge jack
sou ssked:
''Dd you re4asst to be placed Oh the wit
ness slsnl ?"
y es .ir. was the answer.
The oath vas ghea administered and in
answer ID questions BY Mr. B sckhurn. the
witness tod OF bis previous business career,
ending wi.h the Fidelity National BAnk.
which he said lie organized oaf of be FL
deity Sale Deposit ana Trust Company.
lie smiled when asked If be knew }. "
Wiltshire, and went on te detail Wiltshire's
connection with the Fidelity lie said in
September, lss5 he was induced by Witt
shire 10 make him loan Of SO 600 Wilt
shire at that time was debtor .o The bank
TO TIE amount of $40, 600. end he repre-
sented 70 Harper if als loan were NJ. made
the bank would suter. lie accommodated
him. making an agreement % transfer GER
tam rea! estate aud s'se 100 shares OF the
Fidelity National Bank 81 par, ghen worth
100.
All went well until October when witness
returned from a little dinner party com
posed OF Wiltshire aud some OF the officers
OF the bank, and found that during his
absence Wiltshire, Eckeri Il 20. g CHECK for
5000 on the First National Bank. had
been returned not good. "fh3t check Wilt
shire" said be, was unable 10 make
good, and we were compelled 10 carry
it Another day when The witness was
out Wiltshire. Eckert & Co. got Hop
kins 20 wire $50 600 credit 20 Chicsgo upon
certified checks. At the close OF business
hours that day he found Wiltshire. Eckert
| q ca. account overdraWn $50 00O WITH the
former $4,000, their debt 10 the bank of
| 500, O0O and a debt To him of 900. He
| felt that they were in dangerous position
Wiltshire transferred 10 him the real estate
and stock which be turned over to the bank.
He stOrmed at Wiltshire but get nothing
out OF him. lie then suggested to the
cashier TO take call loan from Wiltshire,
Eckert & Co. to square their account and
| save the cashier.
In answer 10 q direct question from Black
burn, Harper stated unreservedly that he
never gave an order OF any kind TO Eckert
10 buy grain for him in Chicago, ana Was
equally sweeping and explicit n saying that
he never authorized Wiltshire TO buy grain
for him in Chicago or elsewhere. This is
! the point of the whole case. and is in direct
conflict with the testimony of both Wilt
shire and Eckert.
Blackburn then took up the accounts of
the bank with the FiTs; National OF New
York. and the Chemical National, OF New
York, where large balances were carried
there, aud Mr.. Harper was called on 10 ex-
plain all of these transactions. he did so
with great minsteness, referring oflen to
the books of the bank. In general his ex-
cuse for the irregularities was that the bank
was put into trouble by Wiltshire, Eckert &
Co.'S debt and ne used whsieyer methods
he could 10 save the bank and toe over the
affairs.